Pasta al forno (baked pasta with tomato and mozzarella)

Categories: Quick and Easy, Children, Gluten free*use gluten free pasta, Vegetarian Baked pasta dishes are typical for major holidays and occasions in Italy. Pasta al forno usually means lasagne in the north and medium to large pasta or wide tagliatelle layered with different sauces and ingredients in the south. This dish is vegetarian and a favourite with young and old. Parts of the top become crunchy caramelised pasta and these are my family's favourite bits. The dish is popular for holidays because of its wide appeal but also because it leaves you free to speak to guests prior to the meal. For this reason, it is a favourite mid-week recipe of mine as I juggle three children. Preparation, typically goes like this: cook the pasta and mix with the other ingredients, pop it in the oven, go collect the children from school, take it from the oven while the children unpack their bags and when everyone is ready, serve!

Author: Woo Wei-Duan

Recipe type: First Course (Primo)

Cuisine: Inter-regional

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Olive oil, for greasing the baking dish

500 grams tomato passata

250 grams fresh mozzarella

50 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated

2 pinches dried oregano

400 grams penne

Sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C. Fill a large pot with 7 litres of water and 70 grams of salt. Bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile take a bit of olive oil and put it on some bunched up cling film to rub around the inside of a baking dish.

Cut the mozzarella into 1.5 cm cubes.

Cook the penne in the water for the time indicated on the package minus 1 minute. Drain the pasta and add it to the baking dish with the passata, mozzarella, 10 grams of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, oregano and salt to taste.

Mix the ingredients around until they are well mixed.

Sprinkle the remaining 40 grams of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the top.

Bake for 15 minutes until the top is golden. Let the pasta sit for 5 minutes before serving.

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